


Ghosts runnin' through the night

by iamnotninja



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series)
Genre: Bruce Springsteen References, M/M, Road Trip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29987115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamnotninja/pseuds/iamnotninja
Summary: Given that Daniel's originally from New Jersey, I'd like to think he's secretly a big fan of Springsteen. What better place to force your boyfriend to appreciate a musician than an extended car ride? (I couldn't stop thinking about how Johnny would feel about Bruce Springsteen songs.)
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	Ghosts runnin' through the night

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter is going to focus on a different song and how Johnny relates to it. I've also made a spotify playlist of the songs that will be featured in this fic (it's possible more songs will be added!). https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7yS2h6JWmx2gj3xml2KbTL?si=e16d6f9827af4f9f

"I get to pick the music."

"You do _not!_ It's my car-"

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to put up with your pansy-ass driving for 16 hours, I should at least get to listen to some kickass tunes."

Johnny threw a duffel bag into the backseat of Daniel’s Audi before sliding into the passenger seat and slamming the door. The car was annoyingly comfortable- leather seats, good lumbar support, working AC. Daneil sighed as he pointedly closed his door more gently than Johnny and started the car.

"I shudder to think what kinds of music you think is 'kickass.'"

"The good shit, LaRusso. Ratt, the Crüe, W.A.S.P., you know."

Johnny twisted around to grab at his duffel, dragging it through the space between their seats. Daniel jerked his elbow up, mouth pursed in annoyance as he pulled onto the road.

"Hey, watch it!"

"You watch it," Johnny muttered, unzipping the bag and pawing through it for the CD binder he'd thrown in. He pulled it out and shoved the duffel back, unzipped. Just as he started flipping through his CDs he heard Daniel snicker. Johnny jerked his head up and glared.

"What?"

"Nothing," the son of a bitch smiled as he looked at the road. "Just wondering what you're planning on doing with those."

"Play them, what do you th-" Johnny looked up at the car's dash and stopped. "LaRusso, what the fuck am I looking at here? Where's the music go?"

"It's Bluetooth, Johnny." Daniel was grinning from ear to ear as he merged onto the highway.

Johnny started furiously punching all the buttons he could reach, hoping a CD player would magically appear. He'd gotten rid of his records and had Diaz burn him CDs. How was that not high-tech enough?

 _"OnStar_ _Activated_ ," a pleasant female voice said through what felt like the entirety of the car. Johnny jumped and started hitting even more buttons. The _car_ started ringing.

Daniel swatted his hand away and hissed. "Cut that out!"

"Good morning, Mr. LaRusso, this is Kristen with OnStar Roadside Assistance," a chipper voice erupted from around Johnny, who yelled reflexively.

"Yeah, uh, hi Kristen," Daniel said, glaring at Johnny. "Sorry about that, we're good, thanks."

"Alrighty! Before I let you go, I see here you've been a loyal OnStar customer for eight years, which means you're eligible for our Drive & Save upgrade," the robot-bird-saleswoman chirped. "Would you like to hear about how-"

"No, no, I'm good, thanks very much Kristen." Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Gotcha! Have a safe day, and thanks for choosing OnStar!"

"Why is some chick speed-dialing your car, LaRusso?"

"Seriously?" Daniel cocked an eyebrow at him. "How is _that_ what you pulled from what just happened?"

"Whatever," Johnny muttered, "Some of us aren't high tech assholes whose cars can't play music."

"It's through your phone, asshole."

"Your phone can play CDs?"

"Christ, Johnny, sometimes I think I’m too young for you. No, people get music _on_ their phone, through the internet, and then the car's speaker system uses Bluetooth to pair with the phone."

"Oh, right, Bluetooth, yeah." Johnny pulled his phone out of his shirt pocket and stared at it like it was a bomb.

"I'll tell you what," Daniel said, still smirking in that insufferable way. "If you can figure out how to connect your phone to the sound system, I will pull this car over, and you can drive us all the way to Tahoe, _and_ I will be your personal Spotify DJ. You name it, I’ll play it.”

“Deal,” Johnny said. How hard could it be?

* * *

“Ready to give up?”

“Fuck off, it says it’s looking. Pair? It needs to pair. Pair _how_?” Johnny smacked his phone against the console. “It’s there, pair it you piece of shit!”

“Hey!” LaRusso shoved Johnny’s phone away. “Quit it, you Neanderthal”

“Alright,” Johnny chucked his phone into the backseat. “I give up. I knew we should have taken the Challenger.”

“The Challenger gets like 15 miles to the gallon, Johnny, and last I checked it was a four-wheeled billboard for Cobra Kai.”

Johnny grabbed around under his seat until he found the lever to push the seat back. He propped his feet up on the dash and reclined his seat back, closing his eyes.

“Whatever, put something on. I’m tired of hearing you talk.”

“That’s not how you felt last night,” Daniel grumbled.

“Just make with the music already.”

“Car, play artist Bruce Springsteen.”

As a roll of percussion filled the car before tumbling into guitar chords, Johnny snorted.

“You got a problem with my music?”

“Springsteen? Come on, he’s that guy who whines about factories and losing his job and shit.”

“Fuck you, he’s the best.”

“Maybe the best of _Jersey_ , but c’mon, listen to this shit. There’s little twinkly bells and shit.”

_In the day, we sweat it out on the streets  
Of a runaway American dream_

Johnny pointed at the console, “And listen to that shit. He’s mumbling about dreams and shit?”

“What are songs supposed to be about?”

“Babes! Getting babes, kick-ass cars, and being awesome.”

LaRusso ignored him, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and singing along.

_Oh, baby this town rips the bones from your back  
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap  
We gotta get out while we're young  
‘Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run_

Johnny groaned.

“You know, you didn’t have to come with me. I could have dealt with this myself.”

“Yeah, right, and have you come back with the wrong equipment? Fat chance, Jersey girl.”

LaRusso responded by turning up the volume.

_I wanna know if love is wild  
Babe, I want to know if love is real_

“So, what, because you’re from Jersey you gotta love this guy?”

“No,” Daniel shot back. “I love this guy because he’s the boss. Me being from Jersey is just a bonus.”

Johnny started banging his head against the window, regretting every decision in his life that led him here.

“I mean, think about it,” Daniel waved his hand at nothing. “ ‘Together, we can live with the sadness’? Isn’t that the fucking truest shit you’ve ever heard? That’s what is is, right? That’s what life is, finding someone who helps you live with the pain and the hurt and the loss.”

“Sounds like something Miyagi taught you.”

“Nah,” Daniel drummed his hands on the steering wheel. “That was all Bruce.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Bruce Springsteen played a show the day after John Lennon died. Before playing Born to Run he said, "It's a hard world that asks you to live with a lot of things that are unlivable. And it's hard to come out here and play tonight, but there's nothing else to do." Ain't that the truth about writing fanfic?


End file.
